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Sunday, July 6, 2014


Text Courtesy of


Editor’s Note: This is a very clever essay on the art of reinvention disguised as a 
children’s fable

In the days when everybody started fair, Best Beloved, the Leopard
'sclusively tufts of sandy-yellowish grass.

Hartebeest lived there: and they were 'sclusively sandy-yellow-brownish
all over; but the Leopard, he was the 'sclusivest sandiest-yellowest-
brownest of them all -- a greyish-yellowish catty-shaped kind of beast,
the High Veldt to one hair.

AUTHOR: Nobel Prize winner in literature Joseph 
writer, poet, and novelist. He is chiefly remembered for 
his tales and poems of British soldiers in India and his
“Jungle Book” tales for children.

This was very bad for the Giraffe and the Zebra and 
the rest of them:for he would lie down by a 
'sclusively yellowish-greyish-brownish stone
or clump of grass, and when the Giraffe or the 
lives. He would indeed!

And, also, there was an Ethiopian with bows and arrows (a 'sclusively
Veldt with the Leopard: and the two used to hunt together -- the
his teeth and claws -- till the Giraffe and the Eland and the Koodoo and
Best Beloved. They didn't indeed!

learned to avoid anything that looked like a Leopard or an Ethiopian:
and bit by bit -- the Giraffe began it, because his legs were the longest
bark on a tree-trunk: and so, though you could hear them and smell
precisely where to look.

They had a beautiful time in the 'sclusively
Ethiopian ran about over the 'sclusively greyish-yellowish-reddish
High Veldt outside, wondering where all their breakfasts and their
and then they had the Big Tummy-ache, both together: and then they
met Baviaan -- the dog-headed, barking baboon, who is Quite the
Wisest Animal in All South Africa.

Said the Leopard to Baviaan (and it was a very hot day), 'Where has all
the game gone?'

And Baviaan winked. He knew.

Said Ethiopian to Baviaan, 'Can you tell me the present habitat of the 

And Baviaan winked. He knew.

Then said Baviaan, 'The game has gone into other spots: and my advice

the aboriginal Fauna has migrated.'

Then said Baviaan, 'The aboriginal Fauna has joined the aboriginal
Ethiopian, is to change as soon as you can.'

saw a great, high, tall forest full of tree-trunks all 'sclusively
speckled and sprottled and spottled, dotted and splashed and slashed

yet so full of little pieces of light?'


Zebra, but I can't see Zebra.'

'em. Perhaps we've forgotten what they were like.'

'Fiddle!' said the Leopard. I remember them perfectly on the High
Veldt, especially their marrow- bones. Giraffe is about 17 feet high,
of a 'sclusively fulvous golden-yellow from head to heel: and Zebra
is about 4.5 feet high, of a 'sclusively grey-fawn colour from
head to heel.'

up in this dark place like ripe bananas in a smoke-house.'

one of them.

gets dark. This daylight hunting is a perfect scandal.'

So they waited till dark, and then the Leopard heard something
breathing sniffily in the starlight that fell all stripy through the
because there is something about you that I don't understand.'


'Don't you trust it, said the Leopard. 'Sit on its head till the



miles off? You haven't any form.'

Can't you see?'

'I can now,' said the Leopard, 'But I couldn't all yesterday.
How is it done?'


away to some little thorn-bushes where the sunlight fell all
stripy, and the Giraffe moved off to some tallish trees where the
shadows fell all blotchy. 'Now watch,' said the Zebra and the
Giraffe. 'This is the way it's done. One -- two -- three! And
where's your breakfast?'

Leopard stared, and Ethiopian stared, but all they could see
were stripy shadows and blotched shadows in the forest, but
hidden themselves in the shadowy forest.

of soap in a coal-scuttle.'

on a sack of coals?'

I'm going to take Baviaan's advice. He told me I ought to change:
and as I've nothing to change except my skin I'm going to
change that.'

'What to?' said the Leopard, tremendously excited.

in hollows and behind trees.'

excited than ever: he had never seen a man change his skin before.

'But what about me?' she said, when the Ethiopian had worked his
last little finger into his fine new black skin.


done me.'

'Oh,' said the Ethiopian. 'Baviaan didn't mean spots in South Africa.
He meant spots on your skin.'

'What's the use of that?' said the Leopard.



sunflower against a tarred fence.'



Then the Ethiopian put his five fingers close together (there was
the Leopard, and wherever the five fingers touched they left five
Leopard's skin you like, Best Beloved. Sometimes the fingers slipped
Leopard now you will see that there are always five spots -- off five
black finger-tips.

in particular. Think of that and purr!'


'Oh, plain black's best,' said the Ethiopian. 'Now come along and
we'll see if we can't get even with Mr One-Two-Three-Where's-

So they went away and lived happily ever afterwards, Best Beloved.
That is all.

Ethiopian hadn't done it once -- do you? But they will never do it

"So, don't ask me, again."

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